Soft
by CJ Walker
Summary: On one quiet night, Pearl and Marina experience their first kiss together. There isn't nearly enough fluff for these two, so here's my humble contribution


Marina wasn't quite sure how it happened, but somehow she and Pearl had become very close in proximity. It was a Sunday night, and it just so happen to be one of their rare days off. Marina remembered that they were in Pearl's room, dancing and goofing around to some song and then the next thing she knew, they were standing only inches apart. Marina had felt the world around them go silent as both of their noses gently brushed against each other. They lingered there, breaths mingling together as neither one advanced any further.

The octoling inwardly panicked. What now? Up until that point, Marina was sure that she had been reading Pearl's movements right but now... what if she was wrong? What if Pearl didn't want to kiss her? What if-

A warm squeeze on her hand had snapped Marina out of her thoughts. She hesitantly met Pearl's eyes and there seemed to be so many spoken and unspoken words in those golden depths. Blush lightly dusted the inkling's cheeks as she gave Marina a small, yet endearing smile. The taller idol took one look at that wonderful smile and immediately made a decision. With renewed confidence, she closed her eyes and took the lead to close the gap between them.

If she could describe their first kiss in one word, it would be "soft", because that's how Pearl's lips felt pressed against hers. Despite them being thin, they were inviting, warm and just so, so... _soft_. They were practically meant to be kissed. The sensation was better than what Marina could have ever imagined.

After a few quiet heartbeats, Marina pulled back the slightest inch for a brief pause before bringing their lips back together again. The second kiss was just as indescribably wonderful as the first. Marina's hands shakily found their way up to Pearl's face as the inkling curled her fingers into the fabric of the taller girl's shirt.

 _Oh my cod,_ Marina thought, completely infatuated.

They were doing this. They were _actually_ doing this. Was this what heaven felt like? Was this what heaven _tasted_ like? Marina just couldn't believe that she was finally kissing Pearl, and the smaller girl was just as into it as she was. Everything about their newly discovered intimacy felt natural and right. Why had they waited so long to do this? Both girls had known that there had been something growing between them for the past year, but they hadn't the courage to act upon it until now.

The care they had for one another showed in their kisses. Each one was tender and languid, neither girl feeling the need to rush things despite how long the tension between them had been building up. Eventually, Marina tilted Pearl's head back with her hands, taking a chance to allow their small kiss to grow into something deeper. Pearl willingly followed her lead, pulling the octoling in closer by the front of her shirt.

A shiver rippled through Marina's body when she felt, rather than heard, Pearl quietly moan against her lips. It was such a vulnerable and... not-Pearl type sound; way different from what Marina was used to hearing come from her partner. It was different in a good way, though. The smaller idol was typically loud and brash, always the first to make her voice heard and know. But here, right now as she shared a kiss with Marina in the privacy of their apartment? She showed a different side, one that the taller idol realized with a blush that no one else but her, knew about.

This thought made Marina panic inwardly again. Her mind began spinning once more. Was Pearl really okay with all of this? Was she doing this right? The octoling wasn't used to taking the lead in any past experiences, so she didn't really know what signs to look for. She knew what she liked, but she wasn't sure how to identify that with someone she had never been with before. Despite this worry, Marina felt it surprisingly natural to be the one to set the pace between them. Maybe it was the connection she felt with Pearl, a bond she hadn't ever experienced to this level before. Or maybe it was just that Marina wanted to make sure that Pearl knew just how much she really cared for her, adored her, treasured her and…

Marina wanted Pearl to know how much she loved her.

With this realization, Marina was able to put her mind at ease. Everything was fine, she was just over-analyzing things, as usual. Honestly speaking, if Pearl was in anyway uncomfortable, she would've pulled away long ago. Instead, the small inkling had her hands tangled within Marina's moving strands of hair.

As their lips continued to dance against one another, there was another quiet, involuntary whimper from Pearl. The octoling quickly dubbed these small, rare sounds to be her favorite song, and she would have no issue listening to it on repeat. She tightened her hold on her partner, wondering what other music she could get her amazing girl to produce.

 _Well... maybe... if I could just… try..._

Making up here mind, Marina decided to take another risk. Gathering courage from every fiber in her being, she brought her tongue into the equation by gently massaging Pearl's lower lip. She didn't want to just rush in like a bulldozer, so the octoling asked for permission to advance in the most polite way she could think of. The smaller girl's voice hitched in surprise at the new contact. Her legs buckled, causing her to sway backwards.

As if by instinct, Marina swiftly moved one hand from Pearl's face to her waist, catching her. Taking a few steps forward, she gently pushed the smaller girl back against the wall behind them. Marina used it, along with her body, to keep Pearl upright.

 _I've got you._

As Marina continued to caress her partner's bottom lip, she eventually felt a gap open up in between the inkling's lips. Deciding that it was now or never, she took the opportunity and shyly began to explore the newly discovered cavern. When their tongues met, it enticed low moans from both idols. The tempo of the kiss was unanimously decided to be kept slow, giving both girls more time to focus more on each other. Marina leaned down further, intent to explore and savor every single inch of her partner's mouth.

Unfortunately, due to their height differences, this put a large strain on the octoling's neck. To make things more comfortable, the idea of picking the smaller girl up by the back of her legs briefly flashed across her thoughts. But... would that be seen as too much, she wondered? Before Marina could give that idea any more thought, Pearl brought her arms up and linked them around the taller girl's neck, her tongue on a mission of it's own. This change in position pressed the idols' chests and hips flush together, causing Marina to feel hazy with euphoria.

Unfortunately, cephalopods need air to survive so the pair broke the kiss soon after to take in some much needed oxygen. They pressed their foreheads together, breathing and panting heavily as the reality of the situation really started to sink in. With their eyes still closed, they remained in this position as the world the around them slowly returned.

Marina was dazed, completely intoxicated by their first kiss...es. She felt her mind spinning like crazy but at the same time, there was a certain tone of calmness in the air. When Marina was finally able to clear her mind, she was met with a pair of warm, golden eyes looking up to her. The taller idol ran a thumb over the smaller girl's cheek as they took a moment to just appreciate one another. With their faces burning of heat, they gave each other embarrassed yet, beaming smiles.

"Wow…" Pearl breathed, unable to contain a small laugh. "That was just… wow. You're uhh… very good at that, yes."

Marina giggled back, feeling just as giddy as the girl pressed against her. "T-Thank you." He thumb's continually glided over the soft, pale skin. "I just felt like this… _us_ , has been a long time coming."

Pearl nodded in agreement, leaning blissfully into Marina's soft touch. "I don't understand what took us so long." She briefly turned her head to place a quick kiss against the palm of one of the octoling's hands. She then brought one of her own, smaller hands to rest on top of Marina's as a small, almost dreamy-like sigh escaped her.

 _She's so cute_... Marina thought fondly.

"Me either. But y'know..." Marina bit her lip as she gave Pearl a sly look. "I never imagined you would willingly be the… _submissive_ type."

Pearl's face flushed a darker shade of red as she pulled back from Marina to stare at her in utter disbelief. The octoling couldn't help herself and began laughing so hard that tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her sides and staggered backwards. Seeing the smaller girl so flustered was just absolutely priceless.

Pearl on the other hand, was not amused. She shifted on her toes, her eyes darting to the side in barely disguised embarrassment. "I-I just uhh... just wasn't ready, that's all." She grumbled.

"You weren't ready?" Marina echoed, an incredulous eyebrow raising. "You're the one who prompted me to lean down!"

"But you could've let me in on what to expect!"

"I didn't know what I was doing until it just... _happened!"_

"Well it sure felt like you did, with the way those lips of yours were moving!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you have liked me to write out an in-depth schedule, right before we kissed?!"

"YES."

Marina crossed her arms and let out a huff, while Pearl placed her hands on her hips defiantly. They both glared at each other for several moments, neither one willing to back down. As Marina stared at Pearl, she found it continually harder to keep a straight face. It appeared the other girl was having the same issue, as she her mouth kept twitching at the corners. The octoling bit the inside of her cheek to hold in a laugh, but it was Pearl who faltered first by letting a snort slip out. A moment later, both idols were falling over each other, unable to hold in their laughter for any longer.

To anyone else, the scene was a stupid, cheesy scenario, but to Pearl and Marina it was everything and nothing. It was nothing because their playful banter was something they were used to doing with each other daily. However, it was everything because it showed just how much their relationship meant to one another. If they didn't have moments like these, both girls would feel as if they would be missing part of themselves.

The moon was well into the sky when two idols were able to calm themselves back down. Marina yawned, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Well, it's getting pretty late. We should head to sleep soon." Stretching, the octoling stood up and began to head for the door.

Pearl, who was laying on her bed on her side, gave her partner a confused look. "Where are you going?"

"To my room...?" Marina turned and gave the smaller girl an equally confused look.

Pearl let out and exasperated sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Marina, really? You're impossible."

"What?"

The smaller girl raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think you can't sleep in here, with me?"

Marina flushed at the question, her fingers twiddling with each other. "W-well… I didn't know if you'd want me to-"

" _Of course_ I want you to stay, you dork." Pearl laughed in good humor, patting the space next to her. "Get over here!"

Marina flashed a timid grin before joining Pearl underneath the blankets. The idols quickly became a tangle of limbs as they settled into one another. A content sigh left Marina as rested her face against Pearl's chest, while the inkling wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Better?" Pearl asked, her fingers ghosting over the small of her partner's back.

"Very." Marina breathed. She was surprised, yet at the same time not, at how quickly her and Pearl had gotten comfortable with each other. Everything about them… _this_ , just felt natural.

 _But what is_ this? _What are_ we? Marina wondered. _Are we… dating now?_ The progression of the relationship over the span of one night was really endearing yet, confusing. Marina felt like there was much said, but still so much _more_ that needed to be said.

A tug on her chin caused the octoling to literally be pulled out of her thoughts. Pearl had brought Marina up so that the two girls face's had met. The taller girl felt her breath get caught in her throat as those pair of golden eyes gazed at her with nothing but warmth and affection. Marina watched in almost slow-motion as Pearl leaned down to place a lingering kiss upon her lips.

"Good night," She whispered, shining a gentle smile. Marina, briefly dazed, smiled back before snuggling back into the inkling's chest. She quickly realized that she didn't care what they were. They would have all the time in the world to officially confess their feelings for one another later. For now, Marina was more than content with lying in Pearl's arms, listening to her heartbeat lull her to sleep.

 _Good night, Pearl._


End file.
